Why Lucy McBath faces challenge over Trump impeachment
Lawmakers are gearing up for a new debate over the impeachment of President Donald Trump when former special counsel Robert Mueller testifies in Congress next week. And it could raise the pressure on Democrats in tight districts to join the push to oust Trump.
U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, the first-term Democrat in one of Georgia's most competitive districts, has not echoed the more than 80 House Democrats calling for Trump's impeachment. A poll conducted by the National Republican Congressional Committee points to why.
The survey of 400 voters found that 60% of voters in the north Atlanta district, which covers parts of Cobb, DeKalb and Fulton counties, oppose impeaching Trump. That includes 56% of independent voters.
The poll is conducted by a partisan group bent on McBath's defeat, so view the findings with that in mind. It also includes only selected crosstabs, so it's lacking in key demographic details.
But Democrats need no poll to remind them of the swingy politics of the district, which had been held by Republicans for decades before McBath ousted Karen Handel last year.
So far, McBath hasn’t joined the five Democrats in tight districts publicly calling for impeachment inquiries. Instead, she’s echoed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi by urging more congressional investigations before taking that step.
"We need to hear from the witnesses who can give us the truth as to what actually happened. We need to make sure that no entity, and no one person, is above the law," McBath said at a town hall in Dunwoody last month. "At the end of the day, the chips will fall where they may."
Republicans will likely try to paint her as a supporter of impeachment regardless. Handel's announcement video, for one, raised alarms about the pressure from the left to impeach Trump and tied her to other policies that liberals have embraced.
Some other findings from the Republican survey, which you can find here:
- McBath trails Handel 46-42 in a head-to-head matchup, which is likely within the margin of error. (The polling memo didn't provide one.) About 40% of voters have no opinion of McBath, while one-third have a favorable image of her. About one-quarter do not.
- About 65% of voters have an unfavorable view of socialism, and slightly more voters would support a Congressional candidate who backs an agenda pressed by Trump (47%) than an agenda pushed by Pelosi (42%).
About the Author
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution's chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
